Less than two years ago in November 2022, Babar Azam stood on the roof of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, setting his eyes on the coveted T20 World Cup trophy. His team ended up second-best in the summit clash but that they went that far was a story of them defying odds after losses to India and Zimbabwe. That grit and perseverance however, was a no-show in this year’s tournament as the previous edition finalists bowed out of the group stage, following repeated batting failures in bowling-friendly conditions in the US.
“We did not play well as a team,” Pakistan captain Babar Azam said in his last press conference at the tournament on June 16. “It’s not that we lost because of one person. As a team, we lost. As a team we were not able to click. Sometimes we did well with our bowling but we did not do well in batting. The pitches here – you saw that they helped the fast bowlers a little. But I think our batting did not click.”
In both the losses to USA and India, batters found life difficult. In the stunning Super Over finish, they started poorly before recovering well to make 159. In the small chase against India, they dramatically fell from 73 for 2 to 102 for 7 to squander two valuable points. The two subsequent wins – against Canada and Ireland, which also saw a brief batting wobble, counted for nothing as they finished third in their group behind the two teams they lost to.
“When the games were in our hands – we lost wickets because of which we lost two crucial matches. We were going ahead and the pressure was on the other team. But when you lose back-to-back wickets, you know the pressure builds. There are some dot balls, where you have to build partnerships. When the pressure builds, you take chances. Today, you saw that we were going easily, but then the back-to-back wickets fell. There was a little pressure and we took the game deep,” Azam said.
Pakistan have been fairly successful in the format in recent years, having reached the semifinal of the 2021 T20 World Cup, and two finals – T20 World Cup 2022 and Asia Cup 2022 – in the space of two months. Azam reiterated that his team that pulled off those feats very recently just failed to perform as a collective this year.
“We have played the Asia Cup final, the World Cup final, and the semi-final as well. But we were not able to finish. But we should also see that we have achieved those things. Unfortunately, we didn’t achieve it this time. We didn’t qualify. We accept it as a team.
“I as a captain and as a team accept that we didn’t play the same cricket. We couldn’t perform the same way. The expectations that we had made of the team, the way our senior players were, we didn’t execute. We couldn’t deliver at different times. So, we accept that as a player and as a captain, I don’t want to blame anyone. I don’t want to point out that it’s their fault. It’s the fault of all the 15 players.
“As a team, we did not play. We are losing as a team. I am not saying this because of one person. You are pointing out that because of the captain… I cannot play in every player’s place. There are 11 players and each of them has a role. That’s why they came here to play the World Cup. I think we as a team have not been able to apply, follow and finish things. We have to settle down and accept that we didn’t play well as a team,” Azam said.
Pitches and conditions across most venues in the tournament have been sided with the bowlers, to the extent that double-digit team totals have been common occurances on a daily basis. The pitch in New York even came under the scanner for uneven bounce and carry that could have led to injuries. Azam felt batting was tough throughout the tournament and that the pitches should have been better.
“In New York, you saw that the game was played on toss. I think the timing was a little too early. Because when you give a toss, every second team has bowled. And the bowler gets help. And here you don’t have the idea of bounce because there is no consistent bounce. Sometimes the ball goes too high, sometimes it comes down. So as a batter, you have to take a little bit of time and build your innings. You have to expect the same in the first six overs. I think we should have got better pitches,” Azam opined.
The captaincy merry-go-round in Pakistan landed Azam back at the helm of the white-ball teams in March this year after fast bowler Shaheen Afridi had led the T20I side for a solitary series – for the tour of Pakistan in January. The underwhelming World Cup campaign now puts the pressure on Azam and his job as the leader once again.
“About captaincy – when I had left it, I thought that I shouldn’t be doing it now, that’s why I left it and I announced it myself [last November]. Then when they gave it back to me, it was the decision of the PCB. When I go back, we will discuss all the things that happened here. And if I have to leave the captaincy, I will tell you openly. I will not announce anything behind the scenes. Whatever happens, will happen in front of you. But for now, I have not thought about it. The decision is of the PCB.”
